BELOIT, WI — Kyle Harrison is one of the most accomplished and recognizable lacrosse players of all time. While officially retiring from the field just three months ago, his legacy is solidified. When Harrison walked off the field for the final time in September of ‘21, everyone had the same question: What’s next? His new partnership with RealityBLU, with its powerful yet easy-to-use WorldViewAR (augmented reality) platform, gives some insight.

Harrison is a ten-time all-star and 2017 championship winner who twice played for the United States National Lacrosse Team. Even before he retired, Harrison’s goal was to encourage and build up the next generation of athletes. In 2017, Harrison founded Team Eighteen, which provides premium training and playing opportunities for lacrosse players aged 12 to 18 all across the country. His other endeavors include in-person training events, motivational speaking, and brand ambassadorship for a variety of companies, including STX Lacrosse, Legends Apparel, Super Coffee, FiveStar, and Mendi CBD, to name a few.

But even for an elite athlete, breaking into today’s youth marketplace is no easy task. How do you hold the attention of young players when the “latest thing” is as fleeting as a SnapChat story? “We knew that we had to reach young players where they are — on their small screen devices — with experiences that resonate with them,” Harrison says. “Increasingly, that means using augmented reality.”

With his partnership with RealityBLU, Harrison can communicate with his audience by overlaying digital experiences in their real-world environments, whether that is at home, in school, or on the lacrosse field. Because WorldViewAR experiences are web-based, no app is required. Players simply scan a QR Code or click a link to engage with scenes that are the next best thing to actually being there.

RealityBLU places these experiences into the categories of People, Places, and Things:

People: With the WorldViewAR Holotwin Builder, Kyle is able to speak to players in their real-world environments directly through a holographic twin. AR has enabled Harrison to launch a new virtual training series so players can benefit from his expertise, even if they cannot attend training camps in person.

“Holotwins allow me to add additional experiences to their relationship with the Team Eighteen brand, whether that is showing them ‘in person’ how to execute a specific technique or sharing news and updates from our community in a more personal and engaging way,” says Harrison.

Places: With the WorldViewAR Portal Builder, players can walk right onto one of the Team Eighteen lacrosse fields (or any other location Harrison chooses). They scan QR Code or click a link, place a portal or doorway in their environments using their mobile phones, and walk into the scene as if they were actually there. Players can even join a Team Eighteen game in progress, thanks to RealityBLU and 360º video.

“RealityBLU’s portal technology is a powerful recruiting tool,” Harrison notes. “What reinforces the value of an experience like actually experiencing it? AR portals give players the opportunity to better visualize what our programming is like.”

Things: An important aspect of Harrison’s business is sponsorships of products that enhance the lacrosse experience, including next-gen gear and carefully curated health and wellness products. 3D objects viewed through the WorldViewAR platform enable viewers to rotate, zoom in and out, and interact with those products as if they were actually holding them in their hands.

“We are really excited about this partnership with RealityBLU because we see this as a platform that integrates with all of our different lines of business,” says Harrison. “We love the ease of use, and we’re learning so much from the RealityBLU team. We’re just getting starting in understanding what it can do.”

“We are super thrilled to have a lead athlete using our product to further his career and business following his professional playing career,” adds MJ Anderson, chief experience officer for RealityBLU. “We also believe there is a significant opportunity for other athletes who, like Kyle, have a lot of knowledge to share with up-and-coming players. Kyle truly serves as an outstanding model of success.”

About Kyle Harrison

Kyle Harrison is a ten-time all-star and 2017 championship winner who twice played for the United States national lacrosse team. As a college lacrosse player, he played at Johns Hopkins University and was co-captain on the team that went undefeated (16-0) to win the 2005 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship. The same year, he was the 2005 Tewaaraton Men's Player of the Year Award recipient. In 2016, he was inducted into the Johns Hopkins University Athletics Hall of Fame. He played on the 2021 Premier Lacrosse League until 2021 when he retired. In 2017, Harrison founded and is now the director of Team Eighteen, which provides additional training and playing opportunities for players from across North America. He also travels the United States and runs in-person clinics and does motivational speaking. Learn more about Team Eighteen at https://www.teameighteen.com/. 

To learn more, visit www.realityblu.com.